Principle Investigator (Professor)

Akron Webpage: http://www.uakron.edu/engineering/ME/people/profile.dot?u=gm33

Dr. Gregory N. Morscher has worked in the area of high temperature materials and composites for over twenty years. Before joining the University of Akron, he was previously affiliated with NASA Glenn (formerly Lewis) Research Center as a research engineer (CWRU) and then senior research scientist (OAI). He has concentrated primarily on the understanding and improvement of SiC-based composites as well as NDE techniques for the purpose of damage assessment and monitoring. He studied the high temperature creep properties of ceramic fibers and developed a simple bend stress relaxation test to evaluate relative creep properties of ceramic fibers. He has also made considerable contributions to the improvement of BN interphases for the purpose of improving the intermediate temperature capability of SiC/SiC composites in oxidizing environments. Dr. Morscher has used non-destructive techniques such as acoustic emission and electrical resistance during room and high temperature testing as a monitor and measure of the amount of matrix cracking and other forms of damage that occurs as a function of stress, time, and environment (oxidation). This has served as the basis for modeling stress-strain behavior of SiC/SiC composites for different woven architectures and led to the development of intermediate and high temperature stress-rupture models for SiC/BN/SiC composites in air as a function of stress, time, and accumulated damage. More recently, he has focused on the effect of fiber-architecture and matrix-type on time-dependent mechanical behavior at high temperatures (> 1200C) as well as joining ceramic composites to metals. In addition, he has applied acoustic emission to other material systems (e.g., polymer matrix composites and metal oxide scale spallation), other structures (e.g., foam/core structures and integrated structures), and Stirling engines. He received his B.S. degree in Ceramic Engineering at The Ohio State University in 1986 and his M.S. degree in Materials Science and Engineering at Case Western Reserve University in 1989. Later, he received his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at Case Western Reserve University in 2000, while working as a Research Associate at NASA Glenn. Dr. Morscher has authored or coauthored over 90 publications in refereed journals or proceedings and has been a frequent contributor to NASA Glenn’s annual Research and Technology Reports. He has received several OAI achievement awards, two NASA Tech Brief awards, two NASA Turning Goals into Reality awards, the 2004 NASA Public Service Medal and the Richard M. Fulrath Award from the American Ceramic Society in 2005.